Rothmans F5000 Championship round

Mallory Park, 28 May 1973

All cars are 5-litre F5000 unless noted.

Notes on the cars:

1. Trojan T101 [101] (Keith Holland): See full history: Trojan T101/101.
2. Chevron B24 [24-73-03] (Bobby Brown): Built for 1973 season. Bobby Brown: raced in UK 1973 (borrowed by Gethin at Oulton 13 May) and US 1973. Brown's season was curtailed by illness and a family bereavement (the B24 was advertised in Autoweek from 25 Aug 1973 to 16 November 1974) - Bob DeNuzio (Long Island, NY, US) 1974: raced in SCCA FA races in 1976 - Phil Halbert 1976: raced in SCCA events; crashed at Willow Springs 1978 - Todd Gerstenberger (Manhattan Beach, CA) 1987: rebuilt and restored 1987-1991; used extensively in historic racing since 1992. (At one point, Gerstenberger described this car as "24-72-04".)
3. Chevron B24 [24-73-04] (Teddy Pilette): Built for 1973 season. VDS for Teddy Pilette: raced in UK 1973 and Tasman 1974 - Roelof Wunderink: raced in UK 1974. Then via Tony Dean to Richard Simms and used in libre racing in 1975 and 1976. To John Lambert (York) 1977: used in hillclimbs in 1978 and 1979. Then via Ian Webb and Alex Seldon to Chris Townrow (Crantock, Cornwall) for sprints in Cornwall and Devon. To historic racer Richard Piper (Greenwich, London) and partner Patric Capon and raced by Piper in libre and HSCC racing in 1983 and 1984. To Dennis Humphries (Canterbury, Kent) and damaged in testing at West Malling airfield. Repaired and sold to John Harper (late 1980s/early 1990s) then via Tony Ingram (Atlanta, GA) and Lee Chapman (New Milford, CT) to Fred Gunther (Trumbull, CT). Later via Vintage Racing Services (Stratford, CT) to Alex Seiler (NY, NY) c1998. Following a restoration, it was raced in VARA events at Willow Springs and Phoenix and driven on occasion by Casey Annis, publisher of Vintage racecar Magazine. In 2000, it was sold to Stan Beck (Seattle, WA) restored again before it was sold on to Miles Jackson (Seattle, WA) in 2006.
4. Trojan T101 [104] (Bob Evans): See full history: Trojan T101/104.
5. Trojan T101 [102] (Brett Lunger): See full history: Trojan T101/102.
6. Lola T330 [HU18] (Gijs van Lennep): See full history: Lola T330 HU18.
7. Lola T330 [HU16] (Guy Edwards): See full history: Lola T330 HU16.
8. Lola T330 [HU21] (Clive Santo): See full history: Lola T330 HU21.
9. Lola T330 [HU17] (Ian Ashley): See full history: Lola T330 HU17.
10. McLaren M10A/B [300-16] (John Bowtell): See full history: McLaren M10A 300-16.
11. Lola T330 [HU2] (Tom Belsø): See full history: Lola T330 HU2.
12. McRae GM1 [007] (Alan Rollinson): See full history: McRae GM1/007.
13. March 73A [5] (Clive Baker): See full history: March 73A/5.
14. Chevron B24 [24-73-01] (Tony Dean): Built for 1973 season. Tony Dean: raced in UK 1973, US 1973, UK 1974 (crashed at R1 - Dean then buys B24-73-08), also used to settle a bet at the BARC Harewood hill climb 4 Aug 1974; UK 1975 (driven by Dean 3 races, Alain Peltier 1 DNS, Roelof Wunderink 1 DNS). Presumably the car raced by Dean at the Easter Rufforth meeting, winning the libre event. Raced by Dean at Aintree 19 Apr 1975, setting a new circuit record as he won the libre race by over a lap. Crashed and written off by Wunderink Zandvoort (practice) 17 May 1975. Wreckage scrapped.
15. McRae GM1 [003] (Jock Russell): Built for 1972 season as a Leda LT27 and entered by Leda Cars for Trevor Taylor in the UK series until Graham McRae bought the Leda Cars operation. Rebranded as a McRae GM1 (plated "LT27 GM3") and sold to Jock Russell (Midlothian, Scotland) July 1972. Raced by Russell in the 1972 UK series (also raced by Brett Lunger at two races). Raced again by Russell in the UK series in 1973. From Russell to Noel Butler (Birmingham), then to Roy Lane 2000, and restored in Lane's orange colours. To Peter and Aaron Burson (New Zealand) Oct 2006, and raced regularly by Peter in the F5000 Tasman Revival series from 2007/08 onwards. More information about Leda LT27-003/McRae GM1-003
16. Kitchmac [M10B 400-05] (Kaye Griffiths): Barry Newman for Howden Ganley: UK 1970 (18 races, five second places) - Gordon Spice: Argentinean GP 1971; UK 1971 (11 races + 1 DNS). Rebuilt as 'Kitchmac' by Tony Kitchiner for 1972 season: driven by Gordon Spice (UK: 7 races + 1 DNS), John Kendall (UK: 2 races; US : 1 race only R3 Watkins Glen), Fred Saunders (UK: 1 DNS only), Alan Rollinson (UK: 1 race only), Roger Williamson (UK: 3 races); UK 1973: driven by Kaye Griffiths ( 1 race only), Richard Knight (5 races + 1 DNS). Not seen again after the end of 1973. It has been reported that this car was wrecked in an accident but it appears to have survived its final race in 1973 intact. Subsequent history unknown.
17. Chevron B24 [24-72-01] (Steve Thompson): Built for 1972 season. Works for Brian Redman: raced in UK 1972 (debut at Oulton Park 29 May 1972 - 5 races 3 wins) and US 1972 (Redman 4 races 1 win, Gethin 1 race) - Keith Holland for John Player Challenge Trophy at Brands Hatch 22 Oct - Alan Brodie for Steve Thompson: raced in Tasman 1973 and UK 1973. Badly damaged in a severe testing accident at Silverstone on 24 May when a tyre burst at Woodcote at 140 mph, and Thompson was lucky to escape with bruising. The car was written off, and Brodie acquired a brand new 1973 B24.
18. Lola T330 [HU6] (Colin Hyams): New to Australian Colin Hyams who raced it in the UK series in early 1973. To Trevor Twaites June 1973, and raced by him in the UK series in 1973, 1974 and 1975. Later to John Jordan (UK), who entered it for Tom Belso in 1977, and raced it himself in libre in 1978. Entered by Jordan for Dave Williams in libre racing 1983, and then for Tony Trimmer in the BRSCC Libre Championship from 1984 to 1989, winning the championship in 1986 and finishing second in 1987 and in 1988. At some point between 1985 and 1988, the T330 was dismantled and parts used by Dave Finnigan (Biggleswade, UK) to construct T332 "HU42" for Jordan's team. The original HU6 chassis remained with Finnigan until early 2000 when sold to Richard Lines (UK), then to Kevan McLurg (UK) 2005 and built into a complete car by McLurg and then by John Crawford's Motorsport Solutions NZ Ltd by July 2009. Owned by this time by Lindsay Willis of Wilco Racing (Rotorua, NZ), and raced by his son Brett Willis (Rotorua, NZ) in the F5000 Tasman Revival series every season from 2010/11 to 2017/18. More information about Lola T330 HU6
19. Surtees TS8 [005] (Rolf Tellsten): Built for 1971 season and run by Team Surtees for Mike Hailwood to race in the 1971 British F5000 series. Hailwood won the opening race and also at Mallory Park and Silverstone later in the season to finish second in the championship. Sold to Belgian driver Hervé Bayard for 1972, reportedly together with a works spare car. Bayard raced it in one early season F5000 race at Mallory Park, but his main focus was hillclimbing in Europe. He had the car fitted with a Cosworth DFV engine and competed in the French and European series, winning overall at La Bachellerie, Turckheim-Trois-Epis, Les Andelys and Soissons. He finished second overall in the European championship. Bayard also used the Surtees-DFV at the Rothmans 50,000 on 28 August 1972 but did not qualify. After the 1972 season, the car was rebuilt back to Formula 5000 specification and entered by Ecurie Bonnier (Geneva, Switzerland) for Rolf Tellsten in the F5000 race at Mallory Park on 28 May 1973 but he and the car did not arrive. Ecurie Bonnier had been taken over by Heini Mader since Jo Bonnier's death. In February 1974, Ecurie Bonnier advertised six cars for sale in Autosport, including a Surtees TS8 that was "chassis only". The Surtees was later sold to engine builder Louis Morand (La Tour-de-Trême, Switzerland) and was stored at Mader's workshop at Gland, Switzerland until 1978. It then moved to Morand's workshop and was restored to F5000 specification, with a view to Benoît Morand, Louis' son, driving it. This didn't happen, and the car remained stored until sold to Peter Hoffmann (Mainz, Rhineland-Palatinate, Germany) in 1982. Hoffman also did not race the car, and sold it in 1989 to Rainer Jacobi (Mainz), who restored the car and ran it in historic events in 1990 and 1991.

Sources

Note that the identification of individual cars in these results is based on the material presented elsewhere in this site and may in some cases contradict the organisers' published results.

1969-1976 UK results have been researched and collated by Chris Townsend based primarily on material in Autosport and Motoring News. Information has been added from the growing collection of entry lists from programs.

All comments, clarifications, corrections and additions are most welcome. Please email Allen (allen@oldracingcars.com) if you can help in any way with our research.